Cat Scratch Fever
by Belial the Liar
Summary: What if human Issei found a certain black Nekoshou, broken and bleeding? Issei x Kuroka fluff, read and review.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm on a fuckin roll today. Here's a Kuroka story for all you Cat people out there. Wrote every single word of it today. **

* * *

Issei was sitting in his bedroom reading when he heard a crash. He flung down the book he'd been reading, and dashed into the room with the source of the noise, his kitchen.

As he suspected, the window had been completely shattered; what he hadn't suspected, is what broke it.

A girl with black cat ears and two black tails lay on the floor amidst the broken glass, unconscious and bleeding. Issei gasped as a torrent of thoughts flooded his mind.

Who was she?

Why did she have real cat parts? Was she human?

Why had she broken into his house and collapsed? Was she running from someone?

Should he call the police? An ambulance?

Issei grimaced, not knowing what to do. She probably wouldn't want an ambulance, going off intuition.

"Uhn…!"

The unconscious girl cried out in pain, clutching at her right leg.

At that point, Issei's protective instincts overrode any apprehensions he was having, and he picked her up bridal-style.

"This is insane..." He mumbled.

Issei carefully carried her into an unused guest room, lying her on the bed. She was wrapped in what looked to have previously been a extravagant black kimono before whatever had happened to her happened.

Now, it was tattered and ragged, damp from the light rain and slick with her own blood. Any Obi that might have accented it was long gone.

Issei wasted no time in pulling it off her, caring more for the girl's safety than her modesty. She wore nothing under it, but Issei did her the courtesy of not looking anywhere he didn't have to.

Once he could see clearly, he was astounded; her body was covered from head to toe in slash wounds of all kinds. None of them looked particularly deep except one, though, on her right thigh. It went down from the top of the thigh to a few centimeters above her knee, and was the source of most of the blood.

Before he did anything, he had to first make sure it wouldn't be a waste of time; he bent down and put his right ear to her mouth, listening for breathing and watching for the slow rise and fall of her..._impressive_ chest, which he was just now noticing and definitely wasn't looking at the whole time.

Definitely.

Hearing a tiny, almost imperceptible breath, Issei had confirmed that she was still alive, and therefore doing nothing to help the odd catgirl would be the same as killing her.

Setting his jaw, he ran to his bathroom and collected an advanced first aid kit, retrieving from it a roll of bandages, some sterile needles, suture wire, disinfectant, scissors, and tweezers. Everything he'd need for a makeshift surgery.

Rain began to pour outside as he set to work. It had been quite a while since he'd stitched a wound, and he'd never done it on a human, but he remembered the basics. Thread the needle, insert, pull through, continue until finished.

After a grueling several minutes, he pulled the needle up for the last time and tied a surgeon's knot, then cut the thread off. The worst of the bleeding had stopped, but she was still coated in scrapes and scratches, so Issei began to disinfect and bandage them all.

"Unh…"

As Issei was wrapped the final bandage around her last wound, one on her wrist, the girl groaned, consciousness stirring within her. Issei looked like a deer in headlights as she slowly began to open her eyes.

They were bright gold, the most gorgeous he'd ever seen. Come to think of it, the girl herself was far and away the most beautiful woman he knew.

Biting his tongue, Issei prepared to have to hold her down to keep her from trying to move, but almost as soon as her eyes opened, they rolled back and closed again. He sighed in relief. Having to fight a hysteric cat-girl would've ruined his night, and probably would've torn open her stitches, creating an entirely new set of problems.

Satisfied that all her wounds had been addressed, Issei went over to a closest behind the bed and retrieved a modest maroon and black nightgown. As he held it in his hands, he stopped, and a memory wedged into his mind:

His mother, wearing the same nightgown, comforting him as a child after his first pet had died.

Issei shook his head, dismissing the thought. His mother hardly needed the gown now, and she wouldn't object to it being used for this purpose anyway. He moved back to the bed, where his 'patient' was sleeping.

Slowly and extremely carefully, he clothed her in the nightgown. Once she was at least partially covered, Issei elevated her head with a couple pillows, wrapped her in a fresh blanket, and retreated to his kitchen. He grabbed a chair and brought it back to the bedroom, ready to sit with the girl all night in case something happened.

* * *

As Kuroka slowly came back to consciousness, she was struck by an odd sensation; she could barely move. Her limbs refused to listen, and she seemed to be covered by something. She didn't bother trying very hard to move anyway, because her entire body was wracked with pain.

Her eyes shot open, now fully awake. She swiftly looked around, expecting to be in a prison cell or surrounded by angry devils.

Surprisingly enough, that was not the case.

She was an in ornate bedroom, lying on a comfortable bed, wrapped in a soft blanket. There was only one other person in the room, a boy with his head down next to her, asleep on a chair.

Kuroka was utterly confused. Where was she? Had she escaped the devils? Who was this boy? Had he saved her?

She looked a little closer at him. He was sleeping soundly on the side of the bed she was in, apparently exhausted.

He was kind of cute.

"Are you gonnya sleep all day or- ack!" Kuroka attempted to say something to him, only to launch into a coughing fit.

Issei was instantly woken by the noise, looking up in concern. Once he realized what was happening, he dashed into his kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water from his fridge, and carried it back to her.

"Don't move. Open your mouth." Issei said firmly, as her cough died down.

Kuroka, more than anything, wanted to _not_ have to be fed water, but she was in no position to argue. She still couldn't move without sending screaming pain through her whole body, and even just attempting to talk had made her cough.

So, she opened her mouth, and Issei slowly dribbled the water onto her tongue. She swallowed greedily, only just now realizing how thirsty she actually was.

After a moment, Issei pulled his arm back, thoroughly disappointing her. Her throat was still parched, and her mouth was dry as a desert.

"More?" He said, after giving her a couple seconds for that settle.

Kuroka reluctantly nodded.

Issei moved the water bottle back over her mouth, but as soon as it was in reach, she lunged for it with her mouth and caught it by her teeth, tilting it directly up and drinking it all as fast as possible.

Issei almost tried to grab it, but she seemed alright, so he let her keep drinking, as much as she could handle.

"Please be careful."

After completely draining the bottle, she spit it out to the side, sighing in satisfaction. Renewed, she spoke once more.

"Who-" Kuroka began to ask, interrupted by a sudden flash of intense pain. Cringing, she eyed the boy warily. She didn't try to talk again.

"Please don't try to speak. I'm Issei Hyoudou. You crashed through my window last night, unconscious and bleeding like crazy, so I brought you in here and patched you up. Don't strain yourself, I'll take care of everything. Just rest, for now."

As he spoke, Kuroka used senjutsu to take a look at his aura, trying to see if she was in any danger from him. With as feeble as she was, she could barely see anything, but she could make out the smallest details; his aura was almost pure white, with just the faintest flecks of gold, and that meant she was safe. He more than likely wouldn't try to harm her.

"You were cut up really badly. I bandaged all your smaller wounds, but there's one on your right leg I had to stitch. Under no circumstances should you move that leg, okay? The stitching is really mediocre and you'll easily pull it out if you try to move. I'm not a doctor or anything, but it's the best I could do. Was I right in guessing you didn't want an ambulance?"

Kuroka nodded. Going to a human hospital like this was the _last _thing she needed.

"Alright. I'm gonna ask you some yes or no questions. Don't bother moving your head, I don't want you to strain. Just tap your index finger once for yes, or don't tap at all for no."

Issei gently rested his right hand under her left hand, then waited for a moment to see if she was in any discomfort before continuing.

Kuroka was, for the most part, astounded at how gentle and caring the boy was being, despite not knowing her in any way. She hadn't felt a kind touch in a very, _very_ long time, and she'd almost forgotten what it was like. The warmth of his hand was comforting in a way she wasn't used to, and it made her blush just a bit. Thankfully, Issei didn't notice.

"Are you ready?"

One faint tap on his palm, just barely enough for him to feel it. That was all he needed.

"Are you human?"

No taps. Issei nodded, that was what he expected.

"Was someone chasing you?"

One tap. Issei grimaced, wondering just who had hurt her so badly.

"Were they human?"

No tap. Issei's worries grew exponentially, but he didn't let it show.

"Do you remember what happened? You don't have to tell me, I just want to make sure you don't have amnesia."

One tap.

"Were the people chasing you...police? Or, something like that?"

One hesitant tap.

"Are you...a criminal?"

Kuroka went limp, slumping deeper into the bed. Of course he'd work his way back to that question. She was wrong to expect kindness from-

"I don't really care either way, I'm just trying to get a better picture of what happened. I wouldn't have drove those guys off if I wasn't going to protect you from them, criminal or not."

Kuroka looked dead at him, shock apparent in her eyes. "You got rid of-"

"Ah-ah-ah, don't talk. Yes, I got rid of them. About an hour after I found you, they knocked on my door, asking if I'd seen you. I said no, they didn't believe me, and things got a little, uh...heated..."

* * *

Issei rose from his place by the bed, wondering who could be ringing his doorbell at a time like this. A quick look at his phone told him it was well past one o'clock in the morning, so the likelihood was that it was whoever had been after the catgirl was still looking for her.

Issei opened his front door to three men in strange, mostly-black clothes standing on his porch.

"Are you gentlemen aware of what time it is?" He asked, putting on an act like he'd been rudely woken up.

"Yes sir, we are, and we're terribly sorry to bother you, but this is urgent. We're looking for a girl with black hair, about this tall, wearing a messed up kimono. She killed somebody, and we're trying to find her."

"Killed somebody? Really? In this neighborhood? I haven't heard anything…" Issei said, feigning surprise.

"No sir, far from here, but we've been after her for a while now, and the trail went cold near your house, so we were wondering if you'd seen her."

"Uh, okay, that's terrifying. No, I haven't seen her."

The man in front of the other two, who'd been talking, happened to glance at Issei's hands. They were bloody.

"Do you mind if we take a look inside, sir? She could be hiding in your home, and I don't think I need to explain why that would be bad."

"No, I'm afraid you can't. If I'm being honest, gentlemen, it's more than a little suspect that you show up at this hour talking about a murderer and asking to be let inside my house. You definitely aren't cops, and I don't think I've heard of any law enforcement agency who lets their employees run around during the dead of night in pitch black robes. You'll have to excuse me, but I think we've talked enough. Good night."

Issei went to close the door, his heart hammering in his throat. He told them off without even thinking about what would happen if they retaliated, and the thought that they were inhumans like the girl frightened him to no end.

As soon as the door was almost closed, the man in front caught it.

"Whose blood is that on your hands, sir?" He asked, eyes narrowed.

"Please leave, or I'll call the police." Issei said, trying to close the door again. It wouldn't budge.

"We're going to look around inside. Do not resist." The man said, pulling the door open. The other two men started forward, and Issei sighed in disappointment.

"Fine. Guys, I really didn't wanna do this, but you're kinda forcing my hand. Are we gonna have to get nasty?" Issei asked, smirking.

The men's eyes went wide as a wicked red gauntlet formed on Issei's arm. They all backed up a step, more out of instinct than anything.

"The Boosted Gear…!"

"I haven't seen the girl you're after. Now, get the _fuck_ off my property." Issei said through clenched teeth as he shoved the man in front back into his lackeys, sending them all off his porch and into the rain.

"Y-yes sir mister Red Dragon! We're terribly sorry to bother you!"

All three of them retreated as Issei closed the door. Once inside, he inspected the Gauntlet with a renewed appreciation. It made them flee in outright terror.

"The Boosted Gear, huh?"

* * *

"...But, don't sweat it. We won't be seeing them again for a while." Issei said, reflecting on what had happened several hours earlier.

The girl wasn't aware that he had any special Gauntlet, and he knew next to nothing about the supernatural world other than that he was part of it, so it would be best not to lay down all his cards just yet. So, he refrained from giving her all the details.

Truth be told, he barely knew a single thing about the Gauntlet he could summon, other than the fact that it was called the Boosted Gear and apparently made him the Red Dragon, and he just learned that. He didn't know what it could do, where it came from, what the Red Dragon was, or anything else, but he knew that it terrified whoever came knocking last night, and that was enough.

"So, I'm gonna ask again, but I want you to remember that I'm on your side until you give me a reason not to be. Are you a criminal?"

Kuroka sighed in relief, all the tension leaving her body. She tapped her finger, finally answering Issei's question.

"Did you kill someone?"

A moment of hesitation, and a look of worry across her face.

One tap.

Issei nodded, idly rubbing a circle into the palm of her hand.

"I think I can put together what happened. Tap if any part of this is wrong, okay?"

Kuroka tapped once, signaling agreement. Issei continued.

"You killed someone out of self defense or something like it, and you've been on the run since. Those guys were trying to get to you because of who it was you killed."

No taps.

"Just one more personal question. Are you evil?"

Kuroka closed her eyes, thinking.

She hadn't _wanted _to kill anybody. She never had, and just the thought of it made her sick. But, the man wasn't giving her a choice, and-

Kuroka was jolted out of her memories as she felt hot tears pouring down her face. She hadn't even realized she was crying. She hadn't cried in years.

Issei smiled and nodded in understanding, then wiped her tears away with his thumb. "Please don't cry. I don't know what happened, but I know you're not a bad person, and I know it wasn't your fault. You're safe now, so don't cry, okay?"

Kuroka let him wipe her tears. '_Damn, I must look pathetic…'_

"Hey, are you hungry? You probably haven't eaten in a while. I made some soup, in case you-"

A flurry of taps. Issei chuckled, then went to warm up the soup he'd made.

In just a minute he was back, a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup and a spoon in one hand, and two more bottles of water in the other.

Kuroka suddenly felt _extremely _apprehensive. Surely he wasn't going to _literally_ spoon feed her? But, when she tried to lift her arms, she found herself entirely unable to do so. To great effort, she turned her head away, refusing to be so weak.

"Look, I know it's embarrassing, but just try to bear with it, alright? You've gotta eat something, or you'll never heal up. I'll go as fast or as slow as you want."

Issei sat back down with the soup, and put the water bottles on a nightstand by her head. "Now, say ahh~"

* * *

"See, that wasn't so terrible."

Three empty water bottles littered the ground, and Issei put the empty bowl up on the nightstand.

Kuroka had just finished the last bite of the soup. That was, without a doubt, the most embarrassing experience of her life, but she was too hurt to argue and too hungry to refuse.

"I'll go get you some painkillers, and hopefully those will help you feel a bit better."

Issei went and got some Advil, then helped the girl take them. Even with water, she struggled to swallow the pills, but was relieved when it was over.

Kuroka breathed out heavily, finally getting some relief. Her eyes grew heavy, and she noticed how tired she was.

"Feel free to go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

She didn't need any more encouragement than that.

* * *

When Kuroka opened her eyes again, she was alone, and it was dark.

"Issei!" She cried out, momentary panic setting in. She still couldn't move, and to be alone was frightening, after essentially confessing to murder in a stranger's home.

"What's wrong?!" Issei asked, flying into the room and turning on the lights as fast as he could. His eyes were wide with concern.

Kuroka came to the realization of how exactly she'd just yelled, and she blushed. Here she was, one of the strongest Nekoshou of all time, and she needed some human kid to change her diapers.

"I was...worried." Kuroka said, able to at least talk now.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here, I had to go check on something for a second. Are you feeling better?"

Kuroka feebly shifted around in the bed. She healed faster than most, and though she could not yet move freely, she could squirm.

"I guess so…"

"Can we talk for a bit, then?"

"I suppose so, nya."

"...Nya?" Issei asked with a questioning look on his face, wondering about her odd choice of words.

In response, Kuroka twitched her ears. Her cat ears.

"Oh, right. So you're, like, a _legit_ cat-girl?"

"...Sure. Cat-girl is nyas a good a term as any, I suppose…"

"So, what's your name, cat-girl?"

Kuroka briefly hesitated, still not sure if she could trust Issei. But, she didn't really have a choice.

"Kuroka, nya. Nyice to meet you, Issei Hyoudou."

"Likewise, shame it couldn't be under better circumstances. How's your leg feel?"

"Like shit."

"Not surprising. I haven't sutured anything for a while, and I've never been the best at it. If you weren't a, uh...special case, I wouldn't have hesitated to call an ambulance."

"A special case, nya? Why not just call me what I am?"

"What are you?"

"A nekoshou, nya. One of the strongest...normally."

Kuroka spoke with bluster, until she remembered exactly where she was. That is to say, in someone else's bed, unable to move, and being waited on hand-and-foot.

"Anyway, where'd you learn how to give someone stitches, nya? You're a highschool student, by the looks of it."

"Just graduated, actually. My dad, before he left, was a doctor, and my mom was a veterinarian. I grew up taking care of animals, so I've done some stitches before."

"You're not calling me an animal are you, nya?"

"I dunno, you seemed pretty animal-like devouring that soup."

"Tch! Don't think just because you spoon fed me that I'm some kind of wimp, nya. I know things you wouldn't believe, human."

"I was hoping so. I recently acquired a...thing, and I was wondering if you knew what it was."

"Finally going through puberty, nya~?" Kuroka asked, laughing at his phrasing.

Issei blushed, just a tad. "No, I...it's probably better if I just show you."

Kuroka stopped laughing, and it was her turn to blush. "Whoa, hey, we've only known each other for a day-"

"It's not something like that! Just...look."

Issei held up his left arm, and summoned his gauntlet.

Kuroka stared with obvious surprise.

"You...you don't know what that is?"

"Not a clue. It just appeared, a while ago."

"Issei, that's...you're the Red Dragon Emperor." Kuroka breathed out, shocked. No wonder he'd been able to chase away her assailants; he was the Red One, for Sirzechs' sake.

"Yeah, don't know what that means either."

"...How much do you knyow about the supernyatural?"

"None. I learned less than twenty four hours ago that people other than humans exist."

"Where to even start, nya? I guess...I'm a yokai, a nekomata, specifically a nekoshou, like I said. The people chasing me were what's called Devils. I'm...one of those too."

"You say it like it's a bad thing."

"It is!" Kuroka yelled suddenly. "Sorry, nya. It's just...most people don't become devils by choice. I definitely didn't, nya."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not particularly. But~, since you're starved for information and you've been so nice, I'll enlighten you."

"You don't have to if you don't want to."

"Right, right. After my parents died, I was resurrected as a servant by a passing high class Devil. Fast forward, like, fifteen years, and the same guy, who was always an unhinged prick, tries to experiment on my sister and I, so I kill him. This was...oh, I don't know...two years ago? I've been on the run since, but I got a run of bad luck recently."

"...Well, if it makes you feel any better, I kinda know how that feels."

Kuroka stared at Issei, wondering how in the world he knew how that felt.

"I mean, not literally, obviously, but uh...my dad left when I was just a kid, and my mom...she died. A couple weeks ago. So, uh...ha."

Issei started to tear up. After Kuroka had talked about her past so flawlessly, he'd tried to do the same, but...he'd been very close to his mother, and he most certainly was not over her death.

Kuroka, on the other hand, felt _horribly_ guilty. Struggling just a bit, she managed to take Issei's hand in hers, trying to comfort him.

"Guess we're both alone, huh?" Kuroka asked, half-joking. Truly, that wasn't something she'd ever expect to say, but she trusted Issei, despite knowing him for so short a time.

"Yeah...guess so." Issei shuddered, trying to keep calm. He'd almost _forgotten_, which is exactly what people kept telling him to do, but...he didn't want to. How could he? He loved his mom, he didn't want to forget her, he wanted her _back_-

"Hey, stop. You're a guy, you're not supposed to cry, nya." Kuroka said, worrying about Issei. She wished she never would've brought her parents up. She'd had fifteen years to get over it, and he only had a couple weeks. She knew exactly how he felt.

"Yeah, yeah. You're right. Sorry." Issei wiped his face, trying not to embarrass himself any further.

"Hey, Issei. Quick question. If I look under this blanket, what will I see, nya?"

Issei blanched. "You, uh, your clothes were wet and bloody, and uh…"

"Did you strip me, Issei~? How daring, nya. To think I've been naked this whole time~..."

"You're not n-naked, you're in a nightgown! I didn't want to put anything tougher on you, because it might've hurt when you woke up."

"Well, that means you've at least seen me naked, nya. Now we have to get married~!"

"Don't joke about stuff like that!"

"Who's joking, nya?"

"...Can we go back to the gauntlet, please?"

"...I suppose, nya. Long story short, there's a Dragon, one of the most powerful to ever live, in your arm, nya. His name is Ddraig, and if you haven't heard from him, it's because you're not powerful enough, nya."

"Powerful enough? You sound like a comic book."

"I'm serious, nya." Kuroka sighed heavily. "I've got a lot to teach you before I leave, huh?"

"I guess so- wait, leave?"

"Well, yeah. I've gotta get going at some point, once I can move, nya."

"...But...why?"

"What do you mean, nya?"

"Why do you have to go? Those devils aren't coming back here, and if they do, I can-"

"You can't do anything, kid. I don't know how you managed to drive them off, but if you haven't even spoken to the dragon in your arm yet, then it's lucky those devils didn't kill you. You're not just keeping a patient, you're harboring Kuroka, SS class criminal. I can't stay here, or anywhere, for long. I have to keep moving. Did you think I'd stay here forever?"

"But where? Where are you going?"

"There's someone I have to find. My little sister. Last I heard, she's in this town."

"Oh...what's her name?"

"...Shirone. No- Koneko. Koneko Toujou."

"Wait, seriously?"

"Yes, nya. Why would I lie about my sister's name- wait. You know something." Kuroka's eyes narrowed.

"Uh, yeah I know something. I know where she is right now, as a matter of fact. She was my junior at Kuoh Academy."

"What…? Really?"

"Yeah. I can take you there once you can safely walk."

"Listen, if you're lying about this-"

"I'm not. I promise." Issei's grip tightened on her hand as he looked her dead in the eyes.

"...Ugh, fine~. I guess I'm in your care for the time being. And, after I find my sister...we'll see."

Issei smiled, bright. Truth be told, she was the only person he'd really talked to since his mother's death, and the thought of just being left alone again _terrified_ him.

"Hey, Issei."

"Yes?"

"You're a dragon, and you're kinda cute. Marriage might not be a _total_ joke, nya~."

"It hasn't even been twenty four hours since we met."

"Things work fast in the supernatural world, especially when it comes to nekomata, nya. And, I've kind of taken a liking to you, so don't be so quick to dismiss me, nya."

"Kuroka?"

"Nyes~?"

"Can I touch your ears?"

Kuroka stared at Issei for a solid thirty second, withering the boy away with her bored gaze. Finally, she relented. "I suppose, nya. Five seconds."

Issei jumped at the chance. Ever since his first time seeing her fluffy ears, he'd wanted to feel them.

Almost excruciatingly slowly, he reached out towards her head.

"Get on with it, nya!"

Issei rubbed her right ear, marveling at how soft it was. It defied his every expectation. It was, without a doubt, the softest and most wonderful thing he'd ever touched in his life.

Now, Issei had owned several cats during his lifetime. He knew _exactly_ how to make them purr, and what places they liked and didn't like.

Involuntarily and unconsciously, he fell back into the familiar pattern of scratching a cat's ears in the best way possible.

Five seconds passed.

He didn't realize Kuroka had started to blush.

Ten seconds passed. Issei kept going, unaware of the time.

Kuroka's eyes were half lidded, and her cheeks sported a deep red hue.

Twenty seconds. Issei pinched the tip of her right ear, rubbing his index finger up and down the length of it.

"Nya~!"

Kuroka could no longer stand the stimulation, and she cried out. Issei practically jumped backwards, coming back to reality in a flash.

"I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?" Issei asked, looking worried and guilty.

Kuroka, breathing heavily with a sultry look, could not have been _less_ hurt.

"Not at all, dragonboy." She said, eyeing him like a piece of meat. "If you keep doing that, I just might have to stick around for a while, nya…"

Issei felt more than a little awkward. He wasn't such a prude that he didn't know what was happening, but he failed to see how it could've happened from her _ears_.

"You look confused, nya~. Did you forget a neko's erogenous zone is her ears, nya~? You're not half bad at it, either. Wanna do my tails, next, nya…?"

"Pass!" Issei exclaimed, having just connected the dots and figured out exactly what he'd been doing the whole time.

Kuroka laughed, and he couldn't help but smile along with her. This was by far the most fun he'd had in...well, since his Mom.

Suddenly, Kuroka blanched. She'd forgotten something _crucial_.

"Issei, I don't mean to alarm you nya, but I, um…"

"You...what? Yes?"

"...have to use the restroom, nya…"

"Oh, was that it? Here."

"Whoa, hey, what the hell are you doing?!"

Issei began unwrapping her from the blanket. He'd had her wrapped tightly, so she wouldn't move in her sleep and tear her stitches.

"Taking you to the restroom. I'm not staying in there with you or anything, so don't freak out."

"Ugh, this is the wo~rst, nya…"

After completely uncovering her, Issei picked the cat-girl up in a bridal carry, like he had before.

Kuroka had assumed that being spoon-fed would be the most embarrassing part of her life. Nope.

It was _definitely _being carried to a toilet like a baby by someone she'd just met.

Although, she did come up with a decent idea. What better way to teach Issei about his power than by example?

"Aren't I heavy?"

"Not at all, why?"

"That's nice to hear, but let's pretend I am. Say 'boost', nya."

"Uh, okay...boost, nya."

"Not with the 'nya' you dork-"

**[Boost!]**

Neither of them had been prepared. Issei staggered and nearly fell when his strength doubled, and Kuroka was more than a little flustered as the hand under her back turned into a dragon arm and pumped out a wave of raw power.

"W-what the hell was that, Kuroka?!" Issei asked, reveling in his new power. He was lifting Kuroka up and down in his arms like it was nothing.

"Tha~t ,was the Boosted Gear, nya. A tool called a sacred gear, one of the strongest, able to double your power every ten seconds."

"Seriously? That's totally broken!"

"Which is why it's one of the strongest, nya."

"Boost!"

**[Boost!]**

"Okay, take it easy. You're going to hurt yourself really badly if you go past your limit. You're nyot out of shape, so you have a decent power threshold for a human, but you'll be exhausted once it wears off if you go much farther."

"Oh, uh, alright. Well, anyway...here we are."

Issei approached a closed door, which he opened with the hand under Kuroka's legs; i.e., the non-Boosted Gear one. Behind it was a spacious bathroom.

"This is the worst moment of my life, nya." Kuroka said monotonously. She could not for the life of her figure how she ended up in this situation.

"You'll get over it." Issei opened another door, inside the bathroom, which led to a smaller room with a singular toilet inside. "Well, uh...huh. This is pretty awkward, huh?"

"Ugh, just set me down, nya." Kuroka rolled her eyes.

Issei complied, gently setting her down on her feet in front of the bathroom. She hissed in pain as more and more of her weight was being supported by herself, and once she was entirely on her own legs she could hardly stand. She shook and struggled just to keep her balance; she was in absolutely no shape to move.

Issei, without saying a word, poked her with the Boosted Gear.

**[Transfer!]**

Kuroka nearly moaned as she was flooded with extra power. As minor as it was, it was raw strength, which she'd been sorely lacking for the past day.

"How...how did you figure that out?" She asked Issei, panting.

"I don't really know. It just kind of came to me. I thought about helping you, and it just kinda happened. You should be fine now though, right?"

"Yeah."

"Great. Don't put any strain on your leg, okay?" Issei turned to leave, but Kuroka grabbed his sleeve as he moved away. He looked back at her, confused.

"...Thanks." Kuroka said, not looking at him.

"Don't mention it." Issei left the room, leaving her to handle herself.

Five minutes later, she surprised him by coming back to the bedroom on her own. He'd been waiting at the other side of the room, looking out from the blinds on a window opposite the restroom.

"Oh, here, lay back down. Don't put pressure on your leg." Issei said, pulling the covers back so she could get back in the bed.

Kuroka grimaced, obviously in a very large amount of pain, and Issei instantly noticed.

"That's the thing, nya…" She said in a shaky voice, "...I already did."

Kuroka turned to the side, revealing her bleeding leg. The stitching had torn in one spot, leaving the wound open.

Issei instantly picked her up and set her on the bed, not even leaving the poor girl enough time to react before he'd grabbed the same tools he'd used to stitch her up before.

"Whoa, hey, what are you doing…? Issei, you're scaring me…"

"That wound was by far your worst. It's deep, and if it stays open you could very well bleed out. You might've made it back in here by yourself, but you are by no means healthy. Sit still."

"Wait, you're not going to-"

**[Reset!] **

Both Kuroka and Issei slumped forward as their shared strength faded into exhaustion. Issei picked himself back up, but Kuroka's head lolled and she looked to be on the verge of passing out.

"That's...a neat drawback…" Issei mumbled, gritting his teeth. It would've been _very_ handy to know he had a time limit.

Still, Kuroka was losing blood, and that meant he had to work fast, exhausted or not. He pulled the suture through his needle, and Kuroka saw it. She whimpered.

"Kuroka, I'm not going to lie, this will hurt. Hold on to me, I'll try to make it as quick as possible. It's just in one spot, so it won't be as bad as it could be, but...it's not going to tickle."

Kuroka whimpered again, but put her left hand on Issei's right shoulder, bracing herself.

Rapidly blinking, Issei set to work. The moment the needle pierced her skin, Kuroka cried out in pain. Her grip on Issei's shoulder quickly became crushing strength, and he almost found himself wanting to yell with her. But, he continued, trying his best to hurry so he could stop hurting her.

"Okay, we're done. You did great." Issei said, sighing in relief. Kuroka was sweating profusely and breathing heavily, but she was fine.

Issei bent over and wrapped her in a loose hug.

"We're done, we're done. I know that was hard, I'm so sorry I had to do it…"

Kuroka tensed up. She hadn't been hugged in...quite a long time. It was an unfamiliar feeling to her. She did her best to reciprocate, but she could already barely move before the reset, and now she felt like her blood had been replaced by lead.

"Shut up, nya...it was my fault...for trying to walk."

Issei gave a sarcastic laugh. "Was me carrying you out of the bathroom such an awful thought that you would rather get stitches with no painkiller? Man, I didn't think I was _that_ bad…"

"You're...great. Shut up."

Issei pulled away. "As much as I hate to say it, I need rest. I've been up for a while. I don't mean to be...well, mean, but I have to get some sleep."

Kuroka nodded. She understood; she was exhausted too.

"Alright. Goodnight, then." Issei stood up to leave, but Kuroka caught his arm.

"No."

"What do you mean, no? Kuroka, believe me, I want to help you as much as possible, but I'm gonna pass out at this rate-"

"Sleep...is fine. Right...here." Kuroka tapped the empty side of the queen size bed next to her.

Issei sighed. "Alright, I guess that works. Only because you're hurt, though."

Kuroka nodded mutely, already closing her eyes.

Issei stood up and cut the lights off, then slowly slid into the bed opposite her. He tried to keep a fair bit of distance in between them, but Kuroka monopolized his arm by scooting on top of it, and essentially forced him to spoon if he wanted any kind of comfort.

Or blood circulation, for that matter.

"If I wake up, and this was all a dream...I'll be pissed." Issei mumbled.

Kuroka hummed in agreement.

* * *

**I wrote ten thousand words today (Not just this, obviously) and I don't want to write anything else. Don't forget to review or PM me, and keep in mind that I've literally never used Kuroka in a story before, so it might not be quite right. Oh well.**

**See you next mission!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Got some reviews on chapter one on Kuroka's character, with varying opinions. She was in-character last chapter, but you'll probably see a lot more of the 'real' Kuroka in this one. **

**Gonna answer some questions here, since I didn't bother with an author's note last chapter. **

**Why is Issei graduated? Just cus. I didn't feel like writing him in highschool for the Nth time. **

**Why doesn't Issei know about the supernatural yet, but he has a sacred gear? Think about what would've happened if Issei awakened the 'twice critical but not really' stage of the Boosted Gear without anyone telling him what it was. He'd have had no idea, and it's not like he can google it. Ddraig isn't awake yet, so he can't ask the big lizard either.**

**Why does Kuroka say nya so much? I dunno. Her wiki page said so, and the brief time I saw her in the anime (I don't read the novels, never will) had her saying it often. I tried to cut it down, but it fits in my eyes.**

**Here's the main thing; why is Kuroka so weak? Or, as one very helpful guest review put it: 'this is the most pathetic kuroka i've seen' She almost died, folks. In this AU, she would've literally bled to death on Issei's floor if he hadn't saved her. She was _incredibly_ weak. Obviously it's not going to be fun watching your favorite character need help to take a piss, but think about it. It's not unrealistic. **

**All that said, I think you'll enjoy this chapter more. In case it wasn't obvious at this point, this story has a _very_ OOC Issei. Be warned. **

* * *

Kuroka sighed in relief; she could move again.

She'd just woken up, and to her relief and surprise, she felt almost no pain save for her right leg.

Kuroka pulled the blanket off herself, and in the process accidentally hit Issei in the face. She hissed in recognition; she'd forgotten he was there, and had just nailed him in the bridge of the nose with her index knuckle.

Issei groaned, sitting up and blinking his eyes.

"Whoops~" Kuroka said unapologetically, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Was that you? I dreamed I got hit with a baseball." Issei said, rubbing his nose.

Kuroka, much to Issei's surprise and worry, began to get out of bed.

"Hey, your leg-"

"-Is fine. I heal fast." She explained, starting to strip off her various bandages once she stood up. The wounds under each were perfectly closed. After a moment, the only evidence that she'd been hurt at all was the remains of the stitches that had been holding her leg together. Even that was completely healed, and all that was left was to take the stitching out.

"How did you manage to not heal for a whole day and then one nap later everything is fine?" Issei asked, standing up. "I expected you to be out of commision for at least a week."

"You were ready to take care of me for that long? How thoughtful, nya. It's probably because of your transfer last night, if I had to guess. The extra power jump-started my own natural healing, and my natural proficiency in senjutsu did the rest. I'll be as good as new by tonight, probably."

"That's...great." Issei said, putting on a happy face. He expected to have at least a few more days of company before he went back to being alone.

"Why the long face, nya? Didn't you swear to protect me? We have some things to take care of."

"I don't seem to remember doing anything like that."

"Oh yes you did. 'Kuroka-sama, I swear on my status as the Red Dragon Emperor that I'll protect you for the rest of your life, and I'll give you ten kittens!' Or something like that, nya~." Kuroka waved her arms this way and that, mimicking Issei's voice and acting like some kind of white knight.

"I think you might've dreamed that."

"I suppose it's possible. Does that mean you _don't _want to give me any kittens, nya?"

"Let's...worry about kittens later. What do we have to 'take care of'?"

"Well, I'm still being tailed by devils. Even if they said they'd leave, you can bet your ass that they're coming back. Now that the Red One is involved, they're probably coming back with an army, nya."

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Issei glanced out of the window blinds, looking at his porch.

"It's just one guy. Red hair, really weird outfit. Huge shoulder...thingies. No, wait, not one guy. There's a...maid, behind him? Weird."

Issei turned back towards Kuroka, who was shaking like a leaf with a horrified look on her face.

"Is something wrong…?" He asked, wondering what about his description had made the girl go into a trance.

"You...should answer that. They won't knock twice." Kuroka said, swallowing hard.

"Who is it? You're kind of scaring me."

"This will all go way better if I don't tell you...just...be careful. Go answer. I'll stay in here and hide." Kuroka said, coming back to reality. Her run of bad luck had just gotten worse, it seemed.

Issei nodded, more than a little bit freaked out by her odd reaction. He made his way to the front door, opening it with some apprehension.

"Good morning." Issei said, as it occurred to him he didn't actually know what time it was.

"Good morning, mister Hyoudou. Have a minute to talk?" The man with red hair said, smiling.

"Do I know you?"

"Oh, I doubt it. You might know _of _me, but we've never met. May we come in?"

"I guess so. Make yourselves comfortable."

Issei was never one for mind games. He preferred to say what he meant, and leave it at that, but this man...he sensed that the odd stranger with red hair was the exact opposite, and so Issei prepared to use his mediocre silver tongue. This entire conversation would be a game of chess, and a single slip up would cost everything if Kuroka's reaction was any indicator.

Issei and his two guests moved into the living room, just past the front door.

"Please, make yourselves comfortable." Issei offered, a smile on his face. The two guests thanked him, and sat down on his couch. Issei retreated the kitchen, which was connected to the living room and allowed him and his guests full view of each other. "Care for a drink? I'm underage, so I can't offer you a _good _drink, but I have tea." Issei gave a lighthearted laugh, which the red man returned. The maid was stoic, and it occurred to Issei that her face hadn't moved a single time so far.

"My wife and I will have whatever you're having, if you wouldn't mind."

"Sure thing. So, to whom do I owe the pleasure?"

Issei, by acting cordial, was attempting to throw off any suspicion about harboring a criminal. Someone with a fugitive in the house wasn't likely to entertain guests, especially after an attempted attack on himself the night before. Of course, there was also the fact that that's exactly what somebody looking a fugitive would _expect_.

"I am Sirzechs Lucifer, and this is my wife Grayfia."

"Nice to meet you both. I'm assuming you know who I am, since you're visiting?"

"Indeed. Issei Hyoudou, son of Gorou and Shinobu. Graduated from Kuoh Academy, lives alone, and hasn't applied for a college yet." Sirzechs listed off details of Issei's personal life one after one while looking him dead in the eyes, yet the man's smile never broke.

Nor did Issei's.

"You've certainly done your research, Mister Lucifer. May I ask why?" Issei returned from the kitchen with three cups of black tea, all boiling hot. He placed one each on the coffee table in front of both his guests, and kept his in hand as he sat opposite them on a reclining chair.

"Well, Issei- do you mind if I call you Issei?"

"As long as I can call you Sirzechs."

"Ha, I wouldn't have it any other way. Well, as I was saying, you've gone and worked into quite a predicament, Issei. You see, two nights ago, a few of my associates were searching for an escaped criminal. A murderer, even. They determined her location to be inside your home, and yet returned empty-handed, claiming you denied them the right to detain said criminal. Does that sound right?"

"Well, Sirzechs, it doesn't, as a matter of fact. Three men _did_ come to my door at an ungodly hour two nights ago, asking about a criminal. I told them the truth, as I'll tell you; I haven't seen a criminal."

Now, this was actually a stroke of genius on Issei's part, thought he wasn't aware; he didn't know it, but Grayfia was a keen lie detector, able to discern even the slightest hint of dishonesty. In his previous line, he'd mentioned the he hadn't seen a criminal. In his eyes, he hadn't; he'd seen a girl that was merely a victim of circumstance, a monster only in the eyes of those she wronged.

So, technically, he wasn't lying, and he said it with conviction. Grayfia never noticed.

"And, in addition, I might suggest working with different people next time; one of your _associates_ broke my window." Issei gestured behind them, to where the window was still shattered from the day before.

Once again, not a lie; Issei rightly guessed that one of the people chasing her had been the one to send her through the window in the first place, and so Grayfia saw nothing.

"And I'm terribly sorry about that, and will do my utmost to replace it."

Translation: Give me what I want, and I'll make it worth your while.

"I don't think that'll be necessary. I've already called someone to fix it, later this afternoon."

Translation: I don't need anything from you.

"Ah, very well."

Rough translation: fine, time to play hardball.

"So, you never saw the criminal?"

"I didn't. The only people I saw were the men you mentioned."

"Those men mentioned something odd, Issei. Something about you being the possessor of the Boosted Gear?"

Issei's breath hitched for a fraction of a second. He hadn't expected the conversation to go there.

"That's right."

"In that case, let us not speak as Sirzechs Lucifer and Issei Hyoudou. Let us speak plainly, as the Red Dragon Emperor and the King of Devils."

Issei nearly shit himself on the spot. He was talking to the _King of Devils?_ No _wonder_ Kuroka was freaking out, and hadn't told him who the man was.

"...Alright." Issei said, summoning the Boosted Gear on his arm. Grayfia's body tensed in preparation of movement, but nothing happened.

"Are you harboring Kuroka?"

"No."

"Would you tell me if you were?"

"What do you think?"

"Fair enough. What do I have to give you to give her up without a fight?"

"If I had her, I'd say you had to pardon her crimes and give her a free life, no questions asked."

"If you had her and that was your demand, I'd say I must refuse. That's quite the opposite of my purpose here today."

"Well, if I was going to all the trouble of harboring this deadly criminal and only requesting that one thing of you in exchange for her, and you _refused_, I'd say I might do something crazy. Maybe...waging war on the devils?"

Grayfia's face twisted into a snarl, and she went to move forward, but Sirzechs' outstretched hand stopped her.

"If you were, hypothetically, suggesting such a thing, I'm afraid I'd have to eliminate you here before there could be any casualties."

"Are you certain you could stop me fast enough, if that were to ever happen? After all, isn't your sister just down the road?"

Issei struck a nerve.

All the lighthearted banter was thrown from the room in an instant. An incredibly heavy weight began pushing on Issei from all sides, and Sirzechs' eyes took on a red hue. Issei realized he might've overstepped; but, this was his only option.

The moment he'd seen Sirzechs up close, he'd connected the dots; his resemblance to Rias Gremory, Isse's junior at Kuoh, was uncanny. The same eyes and hair and face, everything the same. So, he'd made the huge gamble of threatening her, to see if he could pull Sirzechs into a checkmate by getting a reaction.

Truth be told, it was a huge shot in the dark that they were even _related. _

He hadn't expected the man to _snap_.

As he struggled to keep his facade up, Issei came to the conclusion that this was the power of the devil king, and that in this situation, as the Red Dragon, he was likely supposed to rival it; to give Sirzechs an 'arm wrestle' of sorts. But, he simply let it wash over him, smiling all the while.

"How'd you know?" Sirzechs asked, anger writhing below his agreeable smile.

"Just a hunch. You confirmed it for me now, though. Well, let's recap, Devil King. If I _did_ have this criminal, and you were to try and take her from me, I'd retaliate, and because you and I are who we are, the likelihood that your sister would be caught in the crossfire is...non-zero."

The pressure from Sirzechs' power increased to an almost _unbearable_ extent, but Issei knew that if he dropped the flawless smile for even a second he'd be killed. He couldn't even _hope _to match Sirzechs' level at this point, and so the only option was to _act like he could_.

"I suppose you're right, Red One. I suppose you're right."

In an instant, Sirzechs' withdrew his power. The weight of the room returned to normal, and Issei could breathe again. Of course, neither of them could even tell he had been struggling to stay conscious.

"And where does that leave us, Devil King?"

Sirzechs inhaled slowly, then exhaled. "I would guess that leaves us no further than when we started."

"If I might propose another solution-?" Issei offered, getting Sirzechs' attention.

"Go on." The man had lost his patience, and all semblance of niceties were gone.

"The Red Dragon could be a terrible enemy, or a _powerful_ ally, if his request was met."

"Am I right in assuming his request would be the same as before?"

"Of course."

Sirzechs sighed, and stood up from his spot on the couch. Grayfia was quick to follow.

"You've given me much to think about, Issei Hyoudou. I'll consider your request, and withhold from making any further actions against you until I come up with an answer."

"Have a good day, Sirzechs. I look forward to working with you in the future."

Sirzechs' eyebrows twitched. "Good day, Issei." He and Grayfia went for the door, and showed themselves out.

"This generation's Red One is truly a terrifying foe." Grayfia said, once they were out of earshot.

"Indeed. To not even flinch from my power, to not even be bothered enough to return his own, and smile the whole time...not to mention, outwitting me at every turn. I should've sent Serafall for this."

"I doubt she would've fared much better. If anything, I think there would've been a fight, and I doubt even she could've beaten someone like that. You and Ajuka are probably the only ones who'd stand a chance."

"You're probably right. Let's go home for now."

Sirzechs and Grayfia teleported away, right in the middle of Issei's yard.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside Issei's house…

Issei was vomiting into a toilet. Hard.

He stopped for a brief moment, taking time to breathe, then puked again.

"Are you...okay?" Kuroka appeared at the door, not really sure what to do.

"Do I look okay?!" Issei snapped, glaring at her. "I just had a pissing match with the fucking King of Devils! I was _this_ close to getting turned into mush by his fucking _aura_!"

"But you won. You actually outwitted Sirzechs Lucifer."

"Yeah, right. He left because he didn't feel like dealing with it, guaranteed I mean, even when he was showing off his powers and practically crushing my bones, I couldn't even do shit but sit there and smile like a dumbass!"

"No, Issei, no joke, you actually just outplayed the Devil. Like...wow." Kuroka was awestruck. She fully expected to die when she heard Issei describe the people at his door.

"Yeah, well, whatever. My capacity for _bullshit _is unparalleled, big whoop." Issei picked himself up off the ground, groaning. He flushed the toilet, hoping he wouldn't have to do that again.

He walked over to Kuroka, scratching the back of his head. "Ah, I'm sorry. It's just...that was _horrifying_. That was literally the closest to death I've ever been. It was like staring evil in the eyes…"

"You actually _would've _died, if I wasn't helping. Despite what the past day looks like, the whole 'damsel-in-distress' act totally isn't my thing, and I'd never live it down if I didn't help at least a little just then. So, when Zexy starting pushing out with his power, I started pushing back, through you, with senjutsu. That's the only reason he didn't pop you like a balloon, nya."

Issei looked impressed. "Well, guess I owe you one, then. Thanks."

"You know, I don't want to be a dick, but...brush your teeth, nya. Your breath smells like puke." Kuroka said, pinching her nose and waving her hand around.

"Thanks." Issei replied, half-sarcastic. He went to a counter and did exactly that. After he was done, he spoke again, sighing. "Well, I did it. For better or for worse, until Sirzechs finds out I just completely bullshit him and I can't even fight, you're safe here. With me."

Kuroka walked over behind Issei, who was tiredly looking into his mirror. She draped herself over him, surprising the boy.

"You know what, Issei? Listening to you in there, butting heads with Lucifer himself over little old me...I think I'll need those kittens now rather than later, nya~..." Kuroka teased, poking him in the cheek with one hand and rubbing his chest with the other.

Issei turned around and picked her up in another bridal carry, much to her shock. "Whoa, are we actually gonna do it? I didn't think you had it in you, nya~!"

"You're about to be so disappointed." Issei carried Kuroka into the bedroom and put her on top of the bed, but instead of continuing, he fled back into the bathroom. Kuroka, utterly lost, was wondering where he went, until he came back out…

...holding scissors and tweezers. Kuroka blanched.

"Gotta get those stitches out, now that you're fine."

"Whoa, hey, I'm sorry about the puke breath thing, I didn't really-"

"Begging won't help. If we leave them in, they could get infected."

"That's fine!"

"Look, this won't even hurt. The wound is healed, it'll just pinch and be sore for a bit."

Kuroka eyed him warily, almost deciding to jump out of the bed and run away, but she relented. "Make it quick."

"Of course. All I have to do, is…" Issei cut through the knots, leaving several strands of loose wire hanging from her thigh. Using the tweezers, he pulled the out one-by-one, making Kuroka cringe. He'd been right, though. It barely hurt.

"Alright, done."

"Wait, seriously? That was it?"

"Yeah. The wound was gone, courtesy of your broken healing powers. All that was left was to pull the wire out."

"Oh. Neat. Hey, I'm starving."

"Well, we could go get something to eat, but uh...you'll need to wear something else." Issei said, gesturing to the nightgown she was still wearing.

The nightgown that happened to be _all_ she was wearing.

"Oho~, nya? You don't like my outfit, Issei~?" Kuroka asked, playfully pulling one of the gown's straps down her right shoulder, causing her large bust to come _dangerously _close to spilling out.

Issei wanted to avert his eyes, but he couldn't look away; at his core, he was a boob man, and like all boob men, he couldn't help himself.

Not that she cared.

"Cat got your tongue, nya?" Suddenly, Kuroka stretched, pushing her chest forward and feigning a yawn. This _did _cause her bust to come spilling out, revealing _everything_, and Issei nearly fainted. He'd seen her naked chest while she was unconscious, but at the time he'd been focused on saving her then, and now…

"Cherries…!" Issei couldn't do anything but stare. His mind was fried.

"Rude to stare, nya~..." Kuroka said, sensuously pulling the nightgown back up over herself, taking her sweet time and making sure she did it _just_ right. Once she was fully covered, Issei snapped back to reality, his face covered with an _atomic_ blush. Kuroka started laughing like a madman, making him blush even worse.

"Well, now I know you're easy to tease, Issei~. That's great information to have..."

Issei shook his head, trying to regain some kind of focus. She'd just led him around like a dog on a leash, and she damn well knew it, too. Issei's pride as a man was wounded, and at the same time, he knew that if she did it again he'd fall under her spell just as easy.

"You weren't kidding when you said things move fast in the supernatural, huh…?" Was all he could come up with.

"Nyope." Kuroka winked at him, her tails swishing playfully through the air. "But, as much fun as it is to tease you in this gown, I don't need help with clothes. Watch this, kiddo." She stood up off the bed.

Kuroka put her hands up, and what Issei could only describe as a dark purple magic circle in the shape of a hexagon formed around her waist, like a floating hula-hoop. It wreathed her in blue light, and after a moment both the circle and light disappeared, revealing her wearing the exact same kimono she'd had on when he found her.

"Was that...real magic?"

"Oh, I guess that was your first time seeing it, huh? Yea, that was real magic. Impressed?" Kuroka asked, her tails swishing around excitedly.

"Definitely. That was pretty cool. Handy, too. Your other kimono was torn to shreds when I found you."

"It happens more than you'd think. But, you're ignoring something important. How do I look?"

Kuroka twirled around in a circle, the black and red kimono flowing gracefully around her. It was tied with a golden obi and hung loosely around her shoulders, giving him a bird's eye view of her chest. She'd apparently also summoned some shoes, black geta that give her at least two inches, bringing her up to Issei's height.

"Fantastic…"

"Aw, thanks! Now let's go get breakfast. I'm starving, nya. You've got money, right?"

Issei sighed. "Yes, I've got money, and _yes, I'll buy_."

"Thanks for offering, nya."

Issei swiftly inhaled, only to heavily exhale a second later. How he'd actually managed to outwit Sirzechs he didn't know, because even Kuroka could run circles around him when she tried.

The two of them left his house, Issei leading her to a breakfast diner that was just a minute from there. Kuroka, at some point, had hidden her ears and tails from view, appearing as a normal human. Her disguise was so convincing that if it weren't for everything that had happened, Issei might've thought that he'd hallucinated the whole cat-girl part.

"Our first date, nya~. I'm so excited." Kuroka clasped her hands, excitedly stretched her arms out.

"That's a worse tease than earlier…" Issei replied, hanging his head.

"Who said it was a tease?" Kuroka said, looking suggestively at him.

"...Was it not?"

"It doesn't have to be~..."

"Then...it's our first date." Issei said, resolutely. He wouldn't deny that the thought had crossed his mind, but he didn't see Kuroka being on-board with the idea.

"So glad you see it my way, nya~!" Kuroka said as practically wrapped herself around Issei's left arm.

"You're going to be the death of me."

"Probably~."

* * *

**"HOW THE FUCK DID ISSEI OUTSMART SIRZECHS?!1!?"...is your next line. Yeah, like I said up top, OOC Issei, like all my stories. This version of him is smart, but more than that, he's _fantastic _at bullshitting. Which is to say, in layman's terms, he's a phenomenal actor. He didn't outsmart Sirzechs so much as he did out-BS the poor guy. Like, Joseph Joestar esqe BS, with a fair amount of luck mixed in. **

**Yeah, anyway. Hope that chapter was better. Like all my fluff, we're moving fairly fast through into their relationship to get into the good stuff, so don't cry about it.**

**Leave a review if you enjoyed it, PM if you didn't, all that good stuff. **

**See you next mission!**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Yay, wooo! Another short chapter! It's fine, I promise. This was just kind of an exercise to get the creative juices going, more than anything else. Still, it turned out nice and I like it. Little bit of news, then chapter. **_

_**I've been working way more than I thought I would, which is partially why my updates have ground to a halt. It's been a really hectic summer, even without that- I had a cancer scare a couple weeks ago (I'm mostly fine, no worries) I had to go to Florida on suuper short notice, and there's been some family stuff going on. I'm about to resign from my job and move into an apartment for a year at least, so I should be good to go for a while before college starts up again. My third semester, sophomore year, whatever you wanna call it, starts like the 26th or 27th of August, but I'm not in nearly as many hours of classes as I was last semester- should be better for updates, I hope. **_

* * *

"You know, in hindsight, I probably should've changed. Or showered. Or literally anything else."

Issei said, sniffing under his shirt and grimacing. He'd been in the same clothes for quite some time now, and the smell was...present. At least, it was to him.

"You're fine. I don't smell anything, and my senses are way better than yours, nya."

"If you say so…"

"Mhmm. Smells like teen spirit."

After a moment of contemplation, Issei was visibly taken aback by both the spot-on English and a musical reference. Japanese as he was, he spoke fluent English due to his American father, and he'd always had a particular preference for American music, so both struck a chord with him.

"Was that a Nirvana reference?" He replied, in similarly flawless English.

"Yup. One of my favorites."

"...You like Nirvana?"

"Are you kidding me? Who doesn't?"

"I just didn't...see you as the type, I guess."

"What, just because I'm a demon catgirl I can't listen to music?"

"No, I-"

"Or maybe, you saw me as more of a cultured high society type who only listens to orchestra?" Kuroka said with a smirk, puffing out her chest in mock arrogance.

"Oh yeah, because the cultured high society types are the ones who crash through people's windows."

"Not my fault, nya. Occupational hazard."

"That's fair. You're sure I don't stink, right?"

"No, you smell like shit and look even worse."

"Wait, seriously?!"

"Nyo. You smell fine. As for your looks...average."

"So cruel!"

Kuroka smugly sipped her cup of chocolate milk, which in itself would've been absolutely hilarious to Issei if she hadn't given him a death glare for snickering when she ordered it. He couldn't help it. She was just so...feline, even with her cat features magically hidden, and to see a cat-girl drinking milk was like the punchline to a corny joke.

The two of them were in a family restaurant, built with the stereotypical American breakfast diner in mind. Black and white checkered floors, red glass tables with matching chairs, and enough fluorescent lights to blind someone. Of course, it was a Japanese imitation, so hardly any of the menu items were similar, but the aesthetic was there nonetheless.

The two of them speaking English amidst the entirely Japanese crowd at the restaurant drew some glances, but nobody verbally questioned the odd pair. Why would they, anyway? Nobody could tell from a glance that it was really a Dragon and a Cat having breakfast like humans.

"Are you ready to order?" A waitress finally came by, asking for Issei and Kuroka's orders, which the new couple readily gave, switching back to Japanese. She retreated back to the kitchen, thanking them.

"So tell me about yourself, Dragon boy. What makes Issei...tick? Is that the expression?" Kuroka asked, using a human saying she'd heard once or twice in passing.

"Hmm. Tough question. I like saving lives and love animals...I guess. I dunno if that's what makes me tick, though." Issei said, wondering about the open-ended question.

Of course, his willingness and ability to save things, animal or not, had been proven when he lied through his teeth to the Morning Star himself for her, so Kuroka really wasn't in a position to doubt him on that.

"I suppose that was a bad question, nya. Let's start smaller. What's your...favorite color?" Kuroka asked with a grin, leaning in close.

"Uh...black, if I had to say." Issei replied, scratching his chin.

He realized just a _tad_ bit too late that that had been a loaded question, but it was alright; he answered correctly.

"How fortunate. Black _just so_ _happens _to be my favorite color too." Kuroka said with a leering smile. Issei was positive that if her tails had been out, they'd be swishing playfully.

"Right...My turn. I guess this probably should've been asked a while ago, but how old are you?"

"Twenty-two. And you, kiddo? There's no way you're older than that."

"Nah, I'm just eighteen. Nineteen in a couple months."

"Aw, you're so young! That's cute."

"Doesn't that make you a cougar?"

"Doesn't getting with a cat make you a furry?"

"Ack!"

Issei choked on his drink, drawing attention from all over the cafe. A waitress moved to see if he needed help, but he ashamedly waved her away as he calmed down. Once he could breathe again, he cleared his throat and tried to ignore the blush that had spread across his face.

In all honesty, he hadn't even spared the odd situation a thought- would it be beastiality to sleep with Kuroka?

"Nyahaha! You've got quite the expression, Issei~. What's on your mind?" Kuroka, sporting a wicked grin, twitched one of her previously-hidden cat ears as she seemingly read his mind.

As if on cue the waitress appeared once more, carrying their orders. Issei excitedly shifted his attention to the food as Kuroka made absolutely no attempt to hide her revealed ears.

"Those are so cute!"After she'd set down their food, the waitress began gushing over Kuroka's ears, not-so-secretly being a fan of the overall kawaii aesthetic. "Where'd you get them? I've never seen any so life-like!"

Kuroka took the praise with a smirk. "Oh, I can't even remember. Seems like I've had them forever…" She said, subtly winking at Issei, who was mentally facepalming.

Without much other conversion, the waitress left them alone. Issei tore into his food without much regard for manners, having been half-starved while he'd been taking care of Kuroka.

"You...you okay there, dragon boy? You never eaten before or something?" Kuroka teased, knowing full well why he was so ravenous. Dragons, demi-dragon or otherwise, were ferocious eaters to begin with, not to mention that fact that he'd been neglecting eating over the past two days.

Stopping to breathe for a moment, Issei mumbled an eloquent reply.

"Hungry."

Kuroka laughed. "Yeah, I can tell. But, don't you know it's bad manners to eat like that in front of a lady?"

Not one to be challenged, and possessing quite the impressive appetite of her own, Kuroka also began to chow down.

"Whoa, what? There was a lady here?"

"...No, you're totally right. No ladies, just a guy who's dating a literal cat."

"You're gonna give someone the wrong idea!"

* * *

"He's done what?! And you simply let him?!"

Sirzechs stood amidst the center of a hundred shouting devils, an expression as cold as ice on his face. He'd expected this; he'd known it would happen the moment he'd chosen not to come to blows with the Red Dragon Emperor. He was briefing the Devil populace on the state of the SS class criminal Kuroka's capture, or rather, the lack thereof.

"I had no choice. Choosing to fight the Red One could've been catastrophic."

Serafall Leviathan, tired of her friend Sirzechs being belittled by geezers half as strong as him, stood up with a sigh.

"You're all missing the bigger picture. The Red Dragon Emperor, potentially one of the strongest ever, is offering to be our ally! The only thing we have to offer him is a pardon, and he'll join our side!"

"_Not only that, but everyone here knows the case with Kuroka was bullshit anyway." _Serafall thought, recalling how she'd been prosecuted as a murderer for trying to save herself and her little sister from their monster of a father. If it had been up to her, the house of Nebiros would've been struck from the history books as a blight upon devilkind.

"You can't possibly-"

"Even so-"

"That may be, but we cannot simply-"

"Enough!" Sirzechs boomed, angered by the enormous amount of red tape he had to go through for even the most obvious decisions. He longed for the days when a Devil king could simply eradicate those opposed to him, not that he would...probably. "I am your King and Lucifer, and you will bow to my decree! Serafall and I will handle the specifics, but this girl is to be pardoned! Would anyone like to object?!"

Sirzechs' eyes burned with barely-contained corrosive energy, and the very air around him screamed under the weight of his power. Silence swept across the room in an instant. None would oppose him.

None _could_ oppose him.

"I propose a solution!" One of the newest members of the devil's higher council offered, cutting through the heavy quiet. Sirzechs, both mildly impressed that he'd spoken up in the first place and eager to hear what he had to say, nodded in recognition.

"The boy is an unaffiliated Red Dragon, yes? And Kuroka, being what she is, is essentially a Free Devil, a Bishop in specific."

"That's correct." Sirzechs answered, happy to finally see some conjecture rather than simply a chorus of can or cannots.

"And as you know, the Dragon-taming house of Bune recently lost it's last living member, with the exception of one techinically related servant of Sairaorg Bael."

Sirzechs nodded, acknowledging the fact.

"I propose we instate mister Issei Hyoudou as the sole heir of the House of Bune and grant him all titles befitting such stature, along with his own peerage, with a fully-pardoned Kuroka as his first member."

As the crowd of devils erupted in a familiar song of vehement disapproval, Sirzechs and Serafall shared a smile. Finally, somebody with a brain.

* * *

Issei and the completely-revealed Kuroka walked towards the exit of the dinner. Kuroka grew tired of suppressing her feline traits and decided to just magic away any problems they caused (none, so far) much to Issei's dismay. Subtlety, he figured, wasn't one of her strong suits.

On their way out, they passed another odd pair at the diner; a girl with short purple hair, wearing a cliche cartoon moustache-and-glasses 'disguise' sitting across from a sleazy-looking man with black hair and a tacky hawaiin shirt. The girl, it seemed, had just thrown what appeared to be orange juice in the man's face.

"I win." The odd man said as our pair walked out.

"What was up with those two?" Issei wondered aloud.

"I dunno. Who cares? Let's go have some fun, nya."

"Like what?"

"How far have you progressed your sacred gear, again?"

"I can make a neat glove."

"Yeah, let's work on that."

* * *

**_As you may have noticed, I'm taking a lot of liberties with Kuroka and Koneko's backstory. From what I understand, their father was a dick, so we're making him the bad guy in this story. Or, at least, the old bad guy. Like, when Kuroka went apeshit in cannon and killed the highclass devil of house Fuckwit or whatever, that's now her dad. Sue me. _**

**_Also, I recently finished the Monogatari series- expect to see an _**_**ungodly amount of references to it from now on. The bit with the purple haired girl and the sleazy guy was a direct rip from a scene in Koimonogatari. If you have questions or whatever, just PM me. **_

_**Read and review, all that good stuff, and if you have a complaint or question about me personally, just PM me. I normally answer. And, if you have PM'd me recently and I was unusually dickish to you, try and bear with me- there's been a lot of whack shit going on and I haven't been in the best of moods. I think I literally told some guy to write his own stories if he wanted to complain about everything, a couple weeks ago- it was the morning of my first ever CT scan, and I was not a happy camper. Try to ignore it, if I'm ever an asshat. (I'm normally not, I promise)**_

_**Anyway, **__**I'm tired, so I'm gonna cut it here. See you next mission!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Another (short) new chapter. Pretty much just some plot-sprinkled filler while I try to come up with an actual plot (it's not going well, please send suggestions- I'm serious) but it's pretty cute, I guess.**

* * *

"Yikes. What's the farthest you've run before this, again?"

"600...meters…"

"Jeez...you sure you're the kid who scared Sirzechs?"

"Bite...me…!"

"..."

"Ow! Stop!"

"You asked for it."

To the outside observer, it might've looked like Issei was running and talking to himself with a weird red cosplay glove on, but to anyone who was a bit more clued in, it was an even weirder sight- Kuroka, in the form of a black housecat with two tails, was sprawled on top of his head while he tried to build some endurance. Kuroka had assured him nobody would care if he had the Boosted Gear out, and it would be better for his training to keep it summoned anyway, so he did.

Issei Hyoudou, running on a pedestrian street wearing a black and red tracksuit, with a cat riding his head, wearing the Gauntlet of the Welsh Dragon.

A spectacular sight, indeed.

Completely out of steam, Issei slowed to a halt before falling to his knees. Not one to waste time, he skipped the part where he stood back up and went straight to laying on the ground, face first. Luckily for him, he'd reached the city park, and he fell onto grass instead of concrete.

"You're a pussy."

"That's rich, coming from a cat."

"Fine. You're a vagina."

Issei laughed, once again beaten to the punch by Kuroka. "I hate you."

Kuroka, still a cat, yawned in boredom and stretched out on his back.

"After you get back up, we can work on weights. Even juvenile dragons are normally crazy strong...you're kinda lacking, nya."

Issei groaned into the dirt before replying. "You know, people keep calling me dragon this and dragon that, but I'm definitely not a dragon. I had a human mother and a human father."

"Yeah, but you've got the soul of a Dragon. With a little senjutsu magic once you're stronger, we can bring you closer to your...spirit form, per se."

"...You're gonna turn me into a dragon?"

"You're already a dragon, nya. I'm gonna make you feel like one."

"That sounds...permanent."

"Not nearly as much as you'd think, actually. It would happen naturally anyway as you grow into your power, but thanks to yours truly, we can accelerate the process. But, before that, more training."

Another groan.

"Issei? Is that you?"

From inside the park, a woman's voice made itself known. Kuroka's head shot up, half-expecting a devil to have found her. Instead, it was just a scantily-clad fallen angel, and a ridiculously weak one at that. She had her wings hidden, but was wearing a BDSM outfit like it was normal. Standard fallen angel.

Kuroka laid back down, unphased.

Issei raised his face by less than twenty degrees, just enough to see who he was being addressed by.

It was a girl who'd asked him out not two weeks earlier. He'd denied her, but he couldn't really remember why; thought he supposed it was a good thing. He could never have gone out with Kuroka if he'd been dating Yuuma.

"Yuuma? What the hell are you wearing?" Issei asked, not bothering to lift his head, or anything else, any more.

"I, uh...workout clothes?" Yuuma replied, suddenly very self-conscious. She quickly and subtly summoned a plain black t-shirt and athletic shorts, slipping them over her Fallen Angel attire in such a way that wouldn't raise suspicion. "But, that aside, why are you on the ground?"

"I was working out too. Now I'm not. The grass looked nice…"

"Is that a cat on your back?"

"Uh...yes. Yeah, I found her a few days ago and she just...won't go away. I've taken a liking to her. Her name is…'kuroneko.'"

Issei felt sharp claws dig into his back at the pun, but he was smiling too hard to care.

For those of you in the audience who don't quite understand, in spoken Japanese, the words "black" and "cat" are "kuro" and "neko", respectively. Hence, 'Kuroneko' is literally just a goofy way of saying black cat, not to mention being a semi-homonym with Kuroka's actual name.

Coincidentally, it was also the name of one of Issei's favorite classic horror movies.

A moment passed, Yuuma not really acknowledging the statement. Then, she noticed his arm.

"Is...is that...Issei, what's on your hand, exactly?" Yuuma said, just now realizing the boy had a Sacred Gear out in public. There were people not even thirty meters away; he was near a pedestrian sidewalk, in broad daylight.

"Oh, that? It's a...cosplay."

"I'm not stupid, I know what a twice cirtical looks like. Why do you have that out? What if a normal person sees you?"

At this, Issei raised his head, looking Yuuma in the eyes. "You know what a sacred gear is? And hey, weren't you just wearing like one third of a swimsuit? Don't lecture me on being weird in public."

Yuuma blushed, having been called out. Around other fallen, she was totally fine wearing that, but with Issei? Not so much. "That's, that's...different. But, yes. I know what a sacred gear is." She hadn't expected to see him on her patrol, so she hadn't really been worried about it.

"Oh. Neat. Well, it's not a Twice Critical, or whatever. It's the Boosted Gear, so I'm told."

Raynare staggered backwards, almost falling over her feet. The _Boosted Gear?_ No wonder Kokabiel was worried about this kid!

She mentally squashed any plans she'd been harboring about hurting Issei- she could never take on a Longinus, especially _that_ one. No, the only viable option now was to report back to Kokabiel. No, not even Kokabiel- Azazel. If Kokabiel were to complete his plan and attack this town, Issei would absolutely rally to defend it, and even the Angel of The Stars would lose against the might of the Red Dragon.

Forget options concerning Issei or the girl with Twilight Healing, her only option for _survival_ at this point was to go straight to Azazel and rat on Kokabiel.

"Yuuma? You okay?" Issei asked, noticing her worried expression.

"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Hey, it was good talking to you, but I gotta run. See you later~!" 'Yuuma' said sweetly, jogging further into the park. As soon as she was out of Issei's sight, she teleported away.

"Was it just me, or was that kind of weird?"

"No, what was weird to me is that you were just talking to a Fallen Angel about me like I was some stray cat, nya."

"You can't object against being a stray cat and say 'nya' in the same sentence. It's not even a verbal thing like that, you're literally just meowing. Wait, Fallen Angel?"

"You were pretty chummy with her, too. Somebody I should be worried about, nya? I might seem aloof, but I take loyalty very seriously, dragon boy."

"Uh...no. And, I do too, don't worry. She asked me out a while back, but I turned her down. We've talked, like, twice. Not counting just then."

"She asked you out?"

"Yeah, but I said no."

"Good thing, too. A prime Fallen Angel tactic for killing Sacred Gear users is to ask them out and then just straight up murder them. Works like a charm, especially with one like that."

"Yikes. I think you need to tell me more about all this supernatural stuff."

"That sounds boring, nya. I'll do it later. For now, more training."

Issei slapped his forehead against the ground, dreading the thought of doing anything else athletic.

"Don't be such a baby, look." Cat-roka hopped off of Issei's back and walked around to stand in front of his head, then pushed both her tails against his face.

"Uh...I'm not ticklish, if that's what you're going for."

"That's depressing, but no. Stop talking and just breathe normally for a second."

Issei did as she asked, and within moments, his fatigue was gone. He sat up, flexing the muscles in his legs and looking at them in wonder.

"'_Thanks Kuroka, I owe you one!'_ Would be the correct response, nya."

Issei stood up, no longer exhausted. This was probably the first time he'd been so worn out- Kuroka's response to hearing that he'd been barely athletic at all, ever, was to say "_You can start with five kilometers then, nya." _Neither he nor his legs were a fan of the abusive regimen.

"Yeah, thanks. Still blows my mind that magic is real."

"Yeah, it's pretty great. I accept praise in the form of spooning and kittens, just so you know."

"Well, I can't do either of those right this second, but how about a chin scratch?"

"A what? Hey, just because I look like a ca~t...mmmm…"

Mid-sentence, Issei scooped up Kuroka and began lightly scratching her chin- a time-tested trick just about all cats loved. His mom taught him that; you could get just about any cat to chill out by scratching it's chin or the top of it's head. Kuroka, it appeared, was no exception.

Issei filed that information away for further use, and mentally proposed the hypothesis that doing the same thing in her human form _probably_ wouldn't work as well.

Probably.

* * *

**Literally all dialogue, and a surprisingly thin amount of interaction between the two main characters, but I like how it's turned out. Like I said up top, I'm kinda just toying around with characters and stuff until I come up with a solid plot. If you've got ideas or whatever, don't keep 'em secret. You all know the drill by now. **

**Anyway, I don't have much to say since I updated like two days ago. See you next mission!**


	5. Chapter 5

**AHHHHH, MORE CHAPTERS! **

**Guys, I gotta tell you- it's so much easier to put chapters out when you're not struggling to hit ~7k words on each one. This has been by **_far_** the most productive week I've had for writing in a long time, and I get that writing short chapters is probably a pretty slippery slope, but it's making my writing sooo much easier and less stressful to just put out one or two scenes ****(1k/1.5k words)**** at a time. If y'all hate it, I'll stop, but if I've got no complaints, then this is what I'm likely to do for quite a while. Keep in mind, I've had three 1.5k updates in a week, as compared to one 5k in a month- I think this works better, but we'll see. As always, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

_**Two days later**_

* * *

"Breathe in deep, breathe out slow. Feel the environment around you. Senjutsu is less power and more energy- it's not all flash and thunder like other schools of magic. It's all in the technique."

Issei sat cross-legged at the foot of a decrepit mountain shrine in a thick forest, his eyes closed and face contorted in focus. Kuroka paced around him in her standard black robe, holding a traditional fan and waving it around for emphasis. She claimed it would help focus the energy in the area, but Issei was convinced she just liked playing with it.

"No, not like that. You're trying too hard. Just...chill. That's all there is to it, just relax."

Issei's twisted face slowly relaxed- he was trying to put as much effort as possible into meditating, which defeats the whole purpose. His breathing was steady and purposeful, but he still wasn't getting it.

"Not quite, but that's more like it." Kuroka sat down behind Issei, and wrapped her legs around his own; she was essentially the big spoon in a meditative pose, with her chest against his back and her waist against the back of his. Issei had his hands on his knees in the way you've seen a thousand times on TV- index finger and thumb connected, with all the other fingers stretched out- the typical monk pose.

Kuroka's hands snaked around and entwined with his own, pulling them into a prayer clasp just in front of his chest. Her cat features were out in full force, and her tails swished around as playfully as ever despite her authoritative teaching methods.

A blush grazed Issei's face as he felt Kuroka wrap herself around him.

"How is this supposed to help me relax?" Issei asked, not really understanding the point what Kuroka was doing but enjoying it nonetheless.

"Stay quiet. Feel my breathing. Just..._relax_."

Kuroka nestled her head in the crook of Issei's neck above his right shoulder, and he began to feel her soft and even breaths rise in perfect time with his own.

"Now close your eyes, and listen."

At Kuroka's instruction, Issei shut his eyes and tuned his hearing in to the smallest noise he could find- the babble of a small stream, just behind them. Some birds were singing, off to their left somewhere. Crickets were chirping, locus were humming, mosquitoes were buzzing. The forest was lush with noise, if one just stopped to hear it.

"Do you feel it? All around us...life. In the ground, in the sky, in the trees and grass and bushes. Everything here, everything living, radiates life energy- ki. That's the core of senjutsu...life itself. Look...open your eyes."

Issei slowly opened his eyes, and followed where Kuroka was dragging his hand- an infant flower, sprouting up from the ground just in-between his legs. Kuroka guided his hands into a cup shape on either side of the tiny flower.

"Imagine all that life energy, surrounding you, and I, and everything else here, flowing through your hands and over that flower."

Issei closed his eyes once more, and began to _truly_ meditate. He envisioned the ki of the forest, flowing down into and over his hands like water from a faucet. It wasn't green, as one would expect, but a vibrant white, awash with every conceivable color, all cascading in an candescent and immaculate dance of pure beauty. An indescribably radiant warmth passed through his hands, and felt the ki blossom from his palms and descend over the flower stalk.

He pictured growth, good things, and deep roots, untouched by the frost. He thought of life and warmth and happiness, and he asked the forest to share some of its energy with the young flower.

"Beautiful, dragon boy. Open your eyes."

Issei opened his eyes, ceasing to meditate, and what he saw astounded him.

The flower which had been a budding stalk moments before, was now a gorgeous camellia in full bloom. Issei, unable to speak, turned to Kuroka with a bewildered look in his eyes.

Kuroka smiled back with the most pure and joyful expression he'd seen in a long time.

After all, she knew what it was like. Connecting to life energy that pure was almost euphoric. She was more than happy to share that feeling with him, and she was proud that he'd accomplished so much on his first try.

Of course, she didn't say any of that, because she didn't have to. The two of them were still connected- not just physically, but with Senjutsu- and Issei realized he could feel everything she was feeling.

"_Congrats, kiddo. You've touched life for the first time." _Kuroka said, directly into his mind. She didn't say a word out loud, she merely leaned her head against the side of his own.

"_This is...incredible."_ Issei replied mentally, exhilarated by his first use of senjutsu. He didn't have the first clue on how they were suddenly communicating via telepathy, but he found himself instinctively knowing how to talk back.

"_It only gets better. But, be careful. You can't hide anything, when we're connected like this. I can feel everything you feel." _

"_Then, can you feel this?" _

Issei turned his head to Kuroka and cupped her cheek, then kissed her on the lips before she had even a second to react. He poured pure affection into their emotional connection, shocking Kuroka. Between the overflow of emotion and the kiss itself, her mind was whirling, but she felt at-ease, and melted into the kiss after a brief moment.

It was quick, and certainly not very intense, but they both relished every second.

Issei pulled back, looking into Kuroka's golden eyes and seeing nothing but happiness. Her face was alight with a pink blush, but her smile was bright enough to blind.

"Nobody's ever done that before, nya…" Kuroka said, breathless.

"Kissed you? Well, me neither, but I didn't want to say anything. Was it bad, or-"

"No, not just the kiss! I meant, nobody's ever given me a feeling like..._that_, before. It felt so good, like…like what love is supposed to feel like." Kuroka's voice caught in her throat- she wasn't one to talk about stuff like that, she never had been, not once in her life. She was in completely new territory, but for some reason, she couldn't help but say those things to Issei.

"Well, I haven't been in love before, and we've only known each other for a little less than a week, but...m-maybe it's not so far off?"

Issei, like Kuroka, had never been in a romantic relationship before, so he was playing the situation by ear, and if it wasn't for the fact that he was connected to the life force of an entire ancient forest, he probably would've been far too nervous to make a move like that or say any of the things he was saying. But, at the moment, he had no secrets.

"Maybe not...only one way to find out. You're stuck with me, now. Keep fooling around like that, and I'll fall for you for good, nya~."

"You know…? I'd like nothing more."

* * *

**Yeah, so that's that. We're starting to get into the real fluffy bits now. Kuroka is typically a really reserved and flighty character, so there's a lot of potential for turbulence in the relationship, but for now we're gonna have smooth sailing for my sake as a writer. If you think it's hard to _read _about characters going through relationship problems, try writing it sometime. Shit's whack. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I'm gonna break down some of the finer bits. **

**Issei and Kuroka being together is the _perfect_ grounds for him to learn some senjutsu, so that's where the idea for this chapter came from. It originally featured a scene where Issei ended up in Ddraig's flaming mindscape, but I liked this version better. Hopefully you did too. **

**Why are we talking about love and shit like 5 days into the relationship? Well, I'm sure you noticed, but both characters are extremely hesitant to call it love- in Issei's case, it's because he's just lost his only source of love ever, his mother. As for Kuroka, who's been on the run since she was a teen, she's never _felt_ love, at least not for a very long time. This makes for an extremely complex relationship dynamic, as we'll explore later. **

**Anyway, that's pretty much it- I'm pretty sure the author's note is longer than the chapter now, but whatever. See you next mission!**


	6. The new Chapter 6

**Okay, let me start off by saying this: my bad. I deleted Chapters 7-12 of this fic, which I know surprised a lot of people. Then I followed up by deleting chapter 6, and replacing it with this chapter- my bad again. Here's why: **

**I did not like where the other story ended up. The relationship started off good but progressed too fast, and Issei's random power boost felt unearned. The Bune story ended up being a lot less interesting than I thought it would, and a couple of other things to boot. Anyway, long story short- I hated where the story was at.**

**But, rather than simply trash it, I've chosen to rewrite it from a point before everything went wrong. Think of it as loading a save game. I know a lot of you followed this story because of what it was before the rewrite, and if you don't like what I've changed here, feel free to unfollow or unfavorite- I understand, believe me. But as it was, the story was simply not something I enjoyed writing, and it's extremely challenging for me to write something I don't enjoy. I'm sure a lot of you, especially my fellow authors, will understand. **

**Anyway- what changed? **

**So in the first version, Issei becomes a dragon. That's out. **

**Issei joins the devils. That's out too.**

**Kuroka and Issei have fallen in love by chapter six. That's definitely out. **

**In this story, at this point, they are both beginning to feel what evolves into love- and while it's true that yes, you can fall hopelessly in love in a week, that's simply lazy writing and I made a rookie mistake when I committed to that. Here's the shape and the point of the tooth:**

**Kuroka and Issei, when they meet, are both completely alone. They find one another, each the other's light in a dark place, and basically get really attached really fast. If I'm being honest- it's a perfect setup for the "love in a week" thing I mentioned, but that's just not how it's gonna play out. They'll get there, but it's not gonna be that easy. Kuroka has a difficult personality, and while she would be quick to imprint she would also be hesitant to commit.**

**I'm sorry to all of you who have been confused by the random updates. This is the last time I'll rock the boat this week, I promise. Anyway, I'll get out of your way now. This is a pretty short chapter, but I wanted to put it out fast so I could reassure everyone that this story is still being continued. **

* * *

"What? Really? The Red Dragon?"

Azazel nearly fell off his chair. He looked at Raynare with a renewed interest, eager to hear all about what her foray into Kuoh had revealed.

"Uh, yeah. And get this; he's already pissed off Sirzechs."

"He...he pissed off Sirzechs? Is he stupid? Or is he just that strong?"

"So, from what I can tell, he's super weak. I even mistook his gauntlet for a Twice Critical when I saw it. He's only just learned about the supernatural, but from what I saw he basically threatened Sirzechs with war."

"War? And he's only just awakened his Sacred Gear?"

"Yeah. And there's more. He threatened Rias Gremory, too."

Azazel leaned in, now _very _invested in this conversation.

"And he's still alive?"

"Apparently."

"Tell me the full story."

* * *

"College? Sounds boring, nya."

"Yeah, well, I'm sure it's not a riot. But I've gotta fill out these applications, so-"

Issei picked up the black cat on top of his head by the scruff of its neck, setting her on the ground.

"-don't distract me."

"Distract you? Don't treat me like some common housecat, jackass!" Cat-roka swatted at Issei's foot with a paw. "You're lucky I'm not strutting around the house nyaked. 'Distract.' Bah!"

"Okay, first off, that sounds fantastic, and secondly- why are you a cat, anyway? Isn't that like, hard to maintain?"

"Oh, sure. But it's fun being so small."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah. I could never sit on your head in my real body. Your face, sure, but not your actual head."

Issei nearly choked, not at all prepared for that sentence nor the resulting mental image.

"Nyahaha, cat got your tongue? What's the matter, poor Issei can't take some dirty jokes?"

"You damn-"

Issei was cut off by a knock at the door. He rolled his eyes, wondering what sort of visitory he'd be dealing with this time. Cat-roka stalked over to the window and looked outside.

"Oh uh."

"It's not Sirzechs is it?"

"Nyope. But almost as bad- sort of."

"By all means, spit it out."

"Azazel."

"Azazel? As in, leader of the Fallen Angels?"

Issei's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. She'd given him a crash course on the major players in the Supernatural world since he seemed determined to piss them off on her account.

"Compared to Sirzechs, I've always found him the more reasonable of the two, nya."

"Oh. Well, that's good at least."

Another knock.

"Same plan as last time?"

Cat-roka looked up at Issei, her tails rigid in anticipation.

"Uh...no plan?"

Issei looked back down sheepishly, not really having thought about it.

"We're so dead, nya."

"Yeah, yeah. Go hide. I'll think of something."

Issei fled the room, heading towards the front door. A peek through the peephole revealed a man with short two tone blond and black hair, wearing a dark kimono and traditional wooden slippers. He had a smile on his face, quite unlike the all-business expression of Sirzechs.

Sighing and resigning himself to bullshit, Issei opened the door.

Immediately Azazel was at his throat with a spear of pure blue light, walking forward with the tip of the jagged weapon at his jugular while Issei instinctively backpedaled.

"I'm guessing Sirzechs was a little more diplomatic?" the Fallen asked with a smirk, backing Issei up all the way against a wall before stopping.

"Among other things, yeah." Issei kept his cool, not letting his extreme fear leak onto his face.

"Haha! You'll have to forgive me, I'm such a geezer that I couldn't care less about things like diplomacy and red tape. Sorry for the scare, I just wanted to confirm some intel."

Azazel dispersed his spear, giving Issei room to breathe.

"Name's Azazel, leader of the Fallen Angels."

"Issei Hyoudou," Issei said his name with an annoyed look on his face, a little frustrated at his bluffing having been so thoroughly thwarted.

"You're not even at the level of Balance Breaker, are you Issei?"

Issei eyed the Fallen leader warily, knowing this would be an entirely different game than it was with the devils.

"No. I only just learned about the supernatural. I'm out of my league..." Issei, giving in, laughed and rubbed his head.

"Yeah, that's the intel I was confirming. You're lucky it wasn't Sirzechs who found that out, kiddo. You threatened one of the most dangerous men on the planet. Also, I'm glad you said that- means you're willing to play ball. If you had tried to bluff _me_, I'd have stabbed you in the foot."

"So what do you want?" Issei went over to the door and closed it, gesturing for Azazel to take a seat on his couch. The older man complied, and Issei sat across from him.

"I had to see the size of your balls myself. Like I said, threatening Sirzechs- kid, you've got some big brass ones. Why'd you do it? You don't have a political agenda. You don't really seem to care about power. What's your goal?"

Azazel stroked his goatee, eying Issei with keen interest.

"Uh, well...to be honest it's not really anything that complicated. I don't want to fight anyone, but-"

"It's a girl, isn't it?"

The pieces clicked for Azazel immediately. He leaned forward, eager for Issei's reply.

"...yeah."

"Hah! A tale as old as time. Kiddo, you seriously picked the wrong guy. Let me tell you what's gonna happen. They're probably trying to work out a deal for you right now, and they're gonna present it to you with two options- take it, or you and your lady friend get a dirt nap. They're devils, too, so it's probably gonna be a shitty deal. You get me?"

"Yeah, that's about what we figured."

"Sounds rough. How about a third solution?"

"Is that why you're really here?"

"Kinda. Kinda just wanted to talk to you about your Sacred Gear, but also- yeah."

"So what is it?"

"Here's the deal- we Fallen? We couldn't care less about all the red tape and stuff devils wrap themselves in. We're creatures of desire, and we do what we want."

"Can you just get to the point? I'm really not one for politics."

"Join my side. Become an ambassador and informant for this town, answer to me, and I'll announce you and your girl are under my personal protection. Not to mention- I've got something you _really_ wanna know."

"And let me guess- I have to agree for you to tell me, right?"

"Oh no, nothing like that. Matter of fact, I'll tell you right now. Have you spoken to your Red Dragon pal?"

"No. I've been told it's because I'm not strong enough yet."

"Ha! You're really knee-deep up Shit Creek, aren't you? Okay, here's the deal. You know what the Red Dragon is, right?"

"Of course."

"And the White Dragon?"

"I've heard the name. Supposed to be my rival or something?"

"Exactly right. Here's the deal- the current White Dragon, Vali- is in my faction."

Issei's eyes widened. In reality, he knew quite a bit more than that, as in between training and flirting Kuroka had somehow found time to lecture him about his place in the Supernatural world. The Red Dragon and White Dragon cooperating under one banner would be quite the rarity indeed.

"And I'm guessing he's way more powerful than me?"

"Oh, by a ton."

"Great."

"So, let me explain this in a way that maybe you haven't heard yet. You, being the Red Dragon, are a force to be reckoned with. Most would rather not get in your way, or leave you be, which is the team I'm on. There are some, like the devils, who would put you to use for their own ambitions."

"And those are…?"

"Honestly? It's up for debate. But let me tell you my ambitions: peace in our time. That's it. I'm like you, kid- I'm a lover, not a fighter. I'd rather talk than fight any day of the week. But there are some people who aren't like that. Anyway, here's the deal-"

"You become an ambassador to this town. I'll occasionally ask you to poke around and gather intel, and the Fallen already here will be put under your watch. You fly our colors for a while, I grant you political protection, and life is good. Not to mention, and this is the good bit so listen up- if ever you wanna spread your wings a bit more, you can feel free to leave our side the moment you think it's necessary. That said, if you do leave, I can't protect you anymore. Nothing more than that outta you, and you and your girl get to stay safe and procreate to your heart's content. Whaddaya think?"

Azazel spread his arms out wide, acting like he'd just pitched the sale of a lifetime. In all honesty, to Issei- he had.

"Are you sure political protection is even something you can give? My girl isn't exactly someone the devils are okay with being here."

"Oh yeah, I'm pretty sure. How bad could it be?"

"SS-class criminal Kuroka."

Azazel was silent for a second, then cringed.

"Yeah, that would complicate things just a bit...but, in theory, it'll still work the same. It'll just take a bit of extra work on my part. Offer stands. Is she here, by the way?"

"Damn right I am, nya."

Dropping her illusion, Kuroka appeared behind Issei in her black robes. Realizing she must've been there the entire time, Azazel nodded in appreciation of the skill it took to fool him.

"Well, there you have it. I guess you're gonna use telepathy, so I'll give you a second to talk."

"_Sounds like a good deal to me. He's not lying, either." _

Kuroka spoke into Issei's mind with Senjutsu while Azazel got up and meandered around the room.

"_You can tell?"_

"_Of course I can. Anyway, that would get Sirzechs off our backs."_

Nodding, Issei spoke out loud.

"I accept."

"_I wasn't done!" _

"_Uh...oops." _

Kuroka looked at Issei like he was a moron, and he kinda felt like one.

"Great! I'll put out the word immediately. You'll get some more visitors tonight, and probably another visit from Sirzechs- but it won't be like the last one. If anything, he'll probably congratulate you for pulling the wool over his eyes."

Azazel offered his hand to Issei and they shook, Kuroka's eyes drilling holes into the side of her new boyfriend's head with intent to kill.

"I'm really glad we're on the same page, kiddo. I'll contact you more later, but for now, just remember: peace in our time."

Azazel flashed a peace sign, then opened the door and left.

Issei closed it behind him, then collapsed against the side of it and fell to the floor.

"You good?" Kuroka asked, not really sure why he looked so out of it. Everything seemed to go well, from what she'd seen- and, that is to say, all of it- she'd been not even a foot behind Issei the entire meeting, ready to react in a moment's notice if shit hit the fan.

"Oh, yeah, I'm good. Just give me a second to contemplate how I landed myself in this mess."

"That's what you get for taking in strange women, nya."

Rather than helping him up, Kuroka sat down beside him against the door and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I really owe you one, you know?"

"Nah, you don't owe me-"

"Shut up and let me finish."

Issei was a little surprised at that, but he didn't argue.

"I know we can just read each other's feelings and stuff, but to me it means more when I say it myself so that's what I'm gonna do. I _do_ owe you. Listen. All my life, I've been running. Not a single soul so far has ever even tried to help me, much less bent over backwards like you have. It might not seem like a big deal to you, but it is to me. I know I act like a carefree cat, but I think about this stuff a lot."

"We've only known each other for like two weeks now, but in that time, you've really done everything you can to take care of me, which is more I can say for anyone else, even my own so-called family. So you might not think so, but I _do_ owe you. Or at least, I feel like I do. So what is it you want?"

"...what?"

"What is it you want? Everyone always wants something. Nobody does anything without wanting something in return."

"What is it I- Kuroka, is that seriously what you think? I only helped you because I wanted something from you?"

"Did you not?"

Kuroka didn't even seem to disbelieve him- she seemed genuinely shocked, like she couldn't understand why someone would do something for nothing.

"When you came through my window, I helped you because I thought it was the right thing to do. When Sirzechs tried to take you, I defended you because I thought it was the right thing to do. Even just then, I agreed with Azazel because I thought it was the right thing to do. I don't do these things cus I'll get a reward out of them."

"But that's not how it works!"

Kuroka raised her voice a bit, not understanding. She wasn't yelling, but they'd been talking low before so now it sounded loud in comparison.

"That is how it works. I know you haven't had an easy life, but tell me if I'm lying when I say this:"

Kuroka looked him in the eyes.

"The only thing I want is you."

He wasn't lying.

"Ah. So that's what it is. I knew you wanted something."

Kuroka stood up and her robe fell off her shoulders, giving quite the revealing view of her back.

"Go ahead and take me, then. If that's what you're after."

Her normally flirty attitude was replaced with one of somber acceptance.

Issei, his mouth wide open in shock, stood up behind her. After a moment of silent complentation, he pulled Kuroka's robe back up over her shoulders from behind, then grabbed her arms and turned her around to face him.

"That isn't what I meant, you damn cat. I don't want you, I want _you_."

Issei pointed to her chest, just above her bust. She looked up into his eyes but couldn't come up with anything to say. He'd surprised her with everything he'd said so far.

Sighing in annoyance, she conceded and tucked her head into his chest while he pulled her into a hug.

"You're kinda gross, you know that?"

"Really? How?"

"Here I am recounting my tragic past to you, and you're all romance this and love that. There's no way you don't want anything from me. I'll find out what it is eventually."

"Well, that's how it is. Guess you gotta live with it."

"Just how many gods and monsters are you gonna piss off for me, huh?"

"Depends how many knock on my door."

"You're an idiot."

"Your idiot."

"You better be. If I find out there's some other catgirl you're doing all this stuff for too, it'll be your balls."

"I think one catgirl is more than enough for me, thanks."

There was a pause, and Issei realized the position he was in. He blushed a bit, then came up with an excuse to move.

"A-anyway, I guess we're going to have guests later today, since I'm now the Fallen ambassador to Kuoh or whatever."

Issei pulled away from Kuroka, and started idly tidying up the living room while she plopped down on the couch.

"Are you worried?"

"Nah, not really. It's reassuring to know there's someone on our side."

"Now you get how I feel."

* * *

**Yeah, so in the original chapter six, there was a pretty heartfelt moment- but to me, it felt unearned. This one sets the tone much better and in a much more realistic way. Kuroka's character at this point is very similar to Cait from Fallout 4 (minus the drugs). She wants someone to trust, but can't let herself be so vulnerable so fast. Anyway I'm sure there's more I should be saying- but I'll leave it at that for now.  
**

**If you have suggestions or anything like that, or just want to say hi to me- feel free to join my Discord server: **

** discord .gg /QgtB9JC**

**That's all for now. Please leave a review if you've got something to say, and as always-**

**See you next mission!**


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